Nov. 16th, 2005

A cold dark day in Salluit. Parts of Ontario and the West are getting weather that we experience almost daily from Oct to April ( one June we were delayed going home due to a snow storm), except for the freezing rain. Coleen Jones was stressing that the winds out West might go to 100km per hour. Well baby, that is the norm in windy ole Salluit. Often when I sit on the sofa, which is against an outside wall, the tea rocks in the cup. The definition of a strong wind depends on what you are used to. I thought I knew wind after Digby and Halifax, or even my winter in St. John's, but life in Salluit has given a whole new meaning to wind.

And if any of you know what a seal farts smell like.. that gives a whole new meaning to wind as well. The Inuit do not tolerate milk products very well. Not part of their traditional diet. Then well meaning, but uninformed people started giving them milk and cereal each morning. Now that was plesant in the classroom. It had to be someone who hated teachers.

Often the wind is at my back when I go to school..pushing me along. I am not the smallest person in the village but often the wind picks me up like a leaf. If I plant my feet firmly it is like skiing. Going home is a different story. I have to have at least one more scarf and my hood pulled tightly over my face. My students still laugh at the day that was so stormy they had to help me walk.. guide me along. I was heading for the back of my home, not the front door where they were all gathered. The Inuit say all the bad weather comes from the south. If a storm is coming from the north they don't even worry.

I just had a fun teaching time with the kids. Each day we go over a new sound.... today was nk. We go over different words that have that sound. It is good for vocabulary development as well as speaking english. I don't realize how little English they know until I see the entire class stumble over a word like sink. They use a sink regularly but have no idea of the English word. The word prank brought up lots of memories for them and for me. We shared our stories. A really good time.

But the best was when we did the word wink... and MissP started recite the Night Before Christmas. She was one of my Gr 5's from last year that took part in the Christmas concert. She remembered a goodly part of it. I was so pleased and proud. I don't know what we are goin gto do this year. I have 17 .. alot of kids to get on and off a stage.
I must run. Hope this finds everyone well.
Pearl